whistle

to make a clear musical sound, a series of such sounds, or a high-pitched, warbling sound by the forcible expulsion of the breath through a small opening formed by contracting the lips, or through the teeth, with the aid of the tongue.

2.

to make such a sound or series of sounds otherwise, as by blowing on some device.

3.

to emit similar sounds from the mouth, as birds do.

4.

(of a device) to produce a similar sound when actuated by steam or the like:

This teakettle whistles when it boils.

5.

to move, go, pass, etc., with a whistling or whizzing sound, as a bullet or the wind.

verb (used with object), whistled, whistling.

6.

to produce by whistling:

to whistle a tune.

7.

to call, direct, or signal by or as by whistling:

He whistled his dog over.

8.

to send with a whistling or whizzing sound.

noun

9.

an instrument for producing whistling sounds by means of the breath, steam, etc., as a small wooden or tin tube, a pipe, or a similar device with an air chamber containing a small ball that oscillates when air is forced through an opening, producing a high-pitched, warbling tone.

10.

a sound produced by whistling:

a prolonged whistle of astonishment.

11.

a simple fipple flute.

Verb phrases

12.

whistle for, to demand or expect without success:

After promising to pay, he told us we could whistle for our money.

Idioms

13.

blow the whistle, to expose the existence of mischief or wrongdoing:

The agent was taking bribes until someone finally blew the whistle.

14.

blow the whistle on,

to bring a stop to; halt:

Congress has blown the whistle on all unnecessary expenditures for the program.

to expose (wrongdoing or wrongdoers):

to blow the whistle on corruption in high places.

15.

wet one's whistle, Informal. to take a drink.

16.

whistle in the dark, to attempt to summon up one's courage or optimism in a difficult situation:

He says his business will improve next year, but he's probably just whistling in the dark.

whistle

v.

Old English hwistlian, from Proto-Germanic *khwis-, of imitative origin. Used also in Middle English of the hissing of serpents. Related: Whistled; whistling. To whistle for (with small prospect of getting) is probably from nautical whistling for a wind. To whistle "Dixie" is from 1940.

n.

"tubular musical instrument," Old English hwistle (see whistle (v.)). To wet one's whistle "take a drink" (late 14c.) originally may have referred to pipes, or be an allusion to the throat as a sort of pipe. Phrase clean as a whistle is recorded from 1878. Railroad whistle stop (at which trains stop only if the engineer hears a signal from the station) is recorded from 1934.